


Language Lessons

by WatermelonTei



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Drama, Family Issues, Mentions mental abuse, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-17 22:00:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29599353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WatermelonTei/pseuds/WatermelonTei
Summary: Philology student Taisia Collins was offered an opportunity - Teach young Seto Kaiba English to prepare him for his job as an owner of KaibaCorp. Excited at the opportunity, she takes the job with all seriousness. That is, until she sees the state of the boy. Against all warnings, she decides to take pity on him. But what looks like a simple act of kindness turns into a nightmare and careful balancing act for her and her family.
Comments: 8
Kudos: 5





	1. I. The Emperor

The peaks of the gates reached higher than Taisia could lift her head. The Kaiba estate was blooming with summer flowers, while vibrant green vines tangled themselves around the metal bars and tall walls. 

Gates opened slowly, and the woman was allowed to step inside the gorgeous fortress that Gozaburo built for himself and his family. Wherever she looked, she could see a guard or two patrolling the premises. Even from the inside, surrounded by silks, velvets, gold and polished wood, this place felt more like a dungeon than a home.

_Why would rich people even build a place this large, only to never live in it?_

“Miss Collins,” Taisia turned her head to the voice of a short, withered butler. “Please follow me. The Lord of the house would like to meet you.”

Their footsteps echoed against the hollow halls, and she was afforded another moment to appraise the living. Well. _Lack of it._ Despite guards and servants at every corner, tapestries and paintings, the place seemed almost haunted.

Taisia could almost swear she caught a glimpse of something as she passed the hallway. That something looked like a boy with a mop of black hair and blue eyes. Just as quickly as he appeared, he disappeared, and the door behind him closed.

  
  


With each step closer to her destination the woman felt herself losing her composure. One could build thousands of scenarios in their head. Imagining countless ways the meeting would progress in, with all the poise and grace. Only to lose it at the snap of a finger.

  
  


**『••✎••』**  
  


  
  


She felt herself being judged the moment the doors opened, and she made a first step in. 

Gozaburo sat in his tall chair like an Emperor. He may very well be one, in Taisia’s eyes. The man controlled the largest weapon production company. Rumors had it, he had in his possession every means to destroy the world with a single push of a button or flip of a switch.

His sharp features were unmoving. Broad frame leaned back, relaxed but ready to pounce at any moment. The woman found herself shaking a little bit, unsure if she should nod, bow, prostrate herself before him, or stay silent.

  
  


“Please, Miss Collins. Sit down.” he gestured, and, as if on command, one of the guards stepped in and pulled out a chair for her. When she came close, she could notice a distinct professional smile. 

“Thank you, Sir.” she replied, offering the same smile in kind. “You must excuse my nervousness. Not every day a philology student like myself gets to meet, much less work for a man of your status.”

Platitudes softened his gaze a little bit, followed by a spark of amusement. “What have you heard of me, Miss Taisia Collins?” 

The chair creaked slightly as the man leaned forward. Taisia felt her breath being stolen for a moment.

“Many things, Sir. Praise from partners, media and press. Loathing from your detractors. You do a lot of charity work.”

“Hmmm, hmmm.” he nodded, keeping his watch on her. 

In this moment, she quickly added, “It was incredibly nice of you to adopt your two sons. I sympathize with the cause of orphanages quite a lot.”

“Indeed.” the man hummed, lacing his fingers together on the table. “As a student of languages, you are probably familiar how many works were inspired by war, and tragedy that follows it.”

“I do, yes.” Taisia nodded eagerly. “War leaves many orphans on the streets.”

“Unfortunately.” he nodded, leaning back. “Miss Collins, I will be quite frank. I am not getting any younger. My eldest son, Seto, will eventually take my place. But one of the most important things, in my eyes, is to know the language.”

At that moment, the man exhaled and leaned back. Hunching over the table like that, for as long as he did, must have taken quite a toll on his back. Taisia even felt a bit sorry for the man. 

“You must be wondering. Why you. Why not, say, one of your professors. Reason is quite simple.” he glanced off to the side, closing his eyes and drawing a sigh. “English is not quite your native language. Neither is japanese. Am I right?”

“Not quite, Sir. I was raised in a bilingual household, at behest of my Greek mother. But japanese was a language I learned.” and learned she did. Somehow, the woman was gifted with languages, though it was definitely hard to juggle between them.

“I would like to give you a chance. I believe, with your experience of learning the language, you will find a way to teach my son. He will be working with many people. It will do him good.” Gozaburo nodded a couple of times, droning in-between. 

“I am ready whenever, Sir Kaiba.” Taisia nodded deeper than it was perhaps required. “I will do my best to teach him the basics. Your words, they-...”

The man suddenly raised his hand, his bushy eyebrows pulling into a frown. _Platitudes could only go so far before they become annoying._ “You will be escorted to the room where your lessons will begin. You will be coming in every day, at this time, escorted in and out at a precise time. Two hours per lesson. Now go. Seto is waiting for you already.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I would like to thank you for reading this as far as you did! This is my first venture into YGO fanfiction and admittedly writing in any capacity such as this!
> 
> I was heavily inspired to write this after watching Virtual Arc, and decided to give my own little spin on the story that transpired. I am not sure how many chapters this thing will have. 
> 
> In any case, please be gentle on the newbie!


	2. II. The Heir

When every other room she managed to look into has been full of darkness, the library was the brightest she has seen thus far. As soon as she opened the door, she was hit with the vibrancy of beiges, browns and golds.

The library took up two floors. Tall polished bookcases made of red oak were reaching as high as the eye could see. Each shelf was filled to the brim with colorful book covers, all lined up perfectly cover to cover and evidently cared for. 

The room was illuminated not only by the small lights, tactically positioned above the shelves, but also by a large semi-oval window that extended all the way to the ceiling and decorated by the velvet curtains.

_ Who knew, that man, like Gozaburo, could have such an appreciation for the written word? Or maybe it’s all for the show. _

In the center of the room she could see a wide coffee table, surrounded by upholstered red and gold chairs and couches. Taisia caught herself mesmerized. So much, that she almost missed the person she came here for. 

Seto Kaiba was a young boy, but even he seemed too small for this room. Despite his firm posture, the boy was almost hiding behind the potted flower bush. As soon as he saw Taisia approach, he straightened his posture even further, and leaned to grab a book, as if on command.

“M’am.” he spoke, as his big blue eyes peered at Taisia with a degree of distrust.

Taisia slowly inhaled and exhaled, just as slowly.  _ That boy is Kaiba through and through.  _ “Seto. You can just call me Taisia.” she smiled, as she sat opposite of him. “I will be frank with you. I don’t have a precise curriculum prepared for today. But that’s okay. We can use this lesson to find out what you know. Yes?”

The boy merely nodded, leaving Taisia even more dumbfounded. The kids she tutored were hardly excited about less free time, but Seto? Seto looked like a tense guitar string, ready to snap at any swift movement. She felt his eyes watching her every move. Worse still, Gozaburo was brief in his instructions, and she really had no idea what she was truly stepping into.

_ This will be like my college work, looks like. Last moment, and on the fly. _

“Right, then. First and foremost, how much do you know of English?” she clasped her hands and leaned back into the chair. 

Much to her surprise, Seto’s answer followed in English. “ _ Bit. _ ” he answered. His speech was still heavily accented. It seemed that he mulled over how to say the next sentence. His eyes darted over to his teacher, only to be met with a small smile and nod.

“What do you want to say, Seto?” she asked calmly in Japanese. “It’s alright if you don’t know. I am here to help.”

“I am not quite sure how the sequence of words works.” he replied, frowning. “ _ Limited English… speaking me.” _

Taisia listened, leaning down and nodding. “Hm. Let’s try this.” she offered. As soon as she said those words, Seto briskly took up pen and opened his notebook. “The basic word sequence usually is this. Subject. Verb. Object. In Japanese, it’s usually subject, object, verb. Yes?”

“Yes.” Seto replied Before Taisia could even ask, he decided to try again. “ _ Me… speaking… limited English?” _

The smile from Taisia almost felt like a boulder was pushed off his shoulders. “Close. You are quick at this! If we want to get into grammar, it would be…  _ I, _ ” she pointed at herself, “ _ speak. Limited English.  _ Subject, I. Speak verb. Object - limited English.”

  
  


『••✎••』

  
  


Two hours afforded to them passed rather quickly. Taisia noted how promptly Seto grasped the subjects given to him. He made many notes. Many more than she’d usually see kids his age make. Each note was professional, too, as if written by a college student and not an eleven year old. 

Normally, kids were relaxed after the lesson. Excited, that it was over. But she saw no such thing in Seto’s eyes. He meticulously wrote down homework for the next lesson, and, without much emotion, remained in the room. She was pretty sure she caught a glimpse of him opening another book he brought with him, completely unrelated to the subject.

The heavy feeling of concern did not leave her even after she was behind the gates, and not even when she saw Homura's car waiting for her just outside. Even after the marvels of the bright library and lush trees and bushes, her boyfriend’s blue BMW was like a light at the end of the dark tunnel.

“You’re quiet today.” He broke the silence, and Taisia looked over her shoulder, only to find Kaiba mansion disappearing behind the greenery. 

“Sorry. It was just overwhelming, is all.” she admitted, leaning back into the chair and sighing.

“I can imagine. Was Seto a good student, anyway?” before she could answer, Homura continued. “They say he is some sort of a prodigy.”

“Mmmhm.” she hummed in response. “I just honestly don’t know why me, still. I am still a student. Gozaburo says it’s because I am a foreigner. As if I know blunders. I am just a visitor...”

“But you do.” he smiled, and Taisia couldn’t help but smile back. 

She admired him, often. In her eyes, Homura lived up to his name. Whether he would be going to the store with her, sitting and watching television at home, or during their long sessions online while miles apart, he always had that innate ability to make her smile just by being there.

His looks were as fiery as his name. His goatee resembled an arrow, going from the bottom of his lower lip all the way down and around his chin. Sharp, observant eyes poked through the dark umber and russet hair strands that stuck out like icicles.

“You’re welcome.” he smirked. 

Taisia’s eyes grew wide. “You didn’t-...”

“I did. Sort of. I figured, while you are here, you might need a decent portfolio to be able to move to Domino City.” Their eyes met, and Homura couldn’t help but snicker at his girlfriend’s baffled expression. “Hey, it was by sheer luck! Can you imagine?”

As they approached Domino City, the landscape almost emerged from the ground. Tall towers greeted them like the silent sentinels they were.  _ From the lush greenery to the concrete jungles.  _ The brightest and tallest of all was KaibaCorp tower, illuminated in blues and yellows from below. 

“I was talking with my colleague about you visiting. Chikuzen Oka himself was visiting my department. So, you can thank him later too.”

“Your boss?” Taisia tore her gaze away from the imposing building to once again look at her boyfriend. 

“In the flesh.” he gulped a little, and looked back at Taisia. Awkward, boyish smile was painted across his features. “No pressure, right?”

The news was only followed by a long, heavy exhale, and the rustle of fabric underneath Taisia as she sank into the seat and closed her eyes. 

_ It just can’t be that simple?  _ Just as Taisia closed her eyes, the image of her newfound student involuntarily emerged in her mind. The kid was like an exposed wire, just waiting to be dropped into the water. The mere sight of a child so stressed made her own form shudder. 

But the work for Kaiba was too good to turn down, especially after the first lesson. “You should have seen that child, Homura. I swear, not even adults give me this much of… fuzzy feelings, you know?”

“He has a lot of expectations to meet, I imagine.” he echoed the sentiment, his own eyebrows pulling into concerned frown. “Every Emperor needs a Heir.”


	3. III. The Game

His eyelids grew heavier and heavier by the second. It seemed like it was only five minutes ago when the sunlight was breaking through the morning cloud. Its warm rays caressed his skin, lulling him back to sleep. Now, there was only darkness blanketing the once bright sky. 

Time came and went in a blur. Seto found himself having a hard time remembering what happened. Most faces merged into one. Each time he tried to recall at least any distinct one, he was met with a horrible headache. 

The boy couldn’t sleep, even if he wanted to. A quick glance at the clock confirmed that he had at least six more hours before he would have to get up again. _Five minutes_ , he thought, as he pushed himself from out of the table and ventured to the balcony to get some fresh air. 

Kaiba mansion was cut off from the civilization with a thick wall of forests and distance. The only thing that connected him with civilization at the moment was a dim dark sky, littered with stars, and the colossus of a KaibaCorp tower. A building that was built to intimidate anyone coming into Domino City, even from the miles away.

  
  


He knew he would own it one day. One day, he will enter these premises not as a small shadow of his caretaker, but as a CEO. Aside from rare naps, the thought of disposing of even the slightest memory of Gozaburo from his life kept him on track. Even now, he was envisioning himself trashing his trophies, pictures. Scratching his name off the doors personally. 

In his mind, not even those close to him would be safe from his wrath. He grinned as he imagined his military compounds turning to dust in the blazing inferno at his mere whim. The boy saw it in his head, stepping through the debris. Gozaburo’s years of back breaking meticulous planning, of youth sacrificed, all destroyed in seconds with a simple flick of a finger. And then? And then him and Mokuba will be safe at last. 

『••✎••』

  
  


_In that moment, there was no one but the two of them in the room. Even if, by off chance, someone wandered into the cafeteria, they would have no idea what was being done. But for Ai and Seto, it was an intense battlefield. Only, they had checkered field for the battlefield, and black and white chess figurines as their troops._

_These games would usually take a while, but in the past few weeks these sessions became almost an every day ordeal. Onlookers would come and go, while they simply kept playing._

_The young girl tucked a loose rose hair strand behind her ear, as her rosewood eyes danced across the field, before picking a rook in her thin fingers and moving it to the position. Seto frowned and hunched over, studying the new layout of their map._

_“You are a tough opponent, Ai.” he remarked, tapping his finger against the metal desk. At that moment, Ai moved up to stretch her legs and grab some tea, leaving him to his pondering._

_“Remember, you wanted this.” she remarked with a jovial smile. Seto always wondered if she always had this smile on her._

_“That I did.” he reeled his head back and groaned in exhaustion. “But this is the price I must pay if I hope to achieve any semblance of good life for myself.”_

_He didn’t need to look to feel her keen gaze on him. “Seto.” her steps echoed against the small cafeteria hall. Soon enough, he felt the warm scent of jasmine and lemon fill his nostrils - cup of tea. “Seto, what if he says no to your match? What are you going to do then?”_

_“Persist.” the boy leaned forward, and momentarily regretted his life choices - his back was sore as all hell. He could not imagine what would happen to him when he would turn ten times older, if it hurt like it did now. “Ai, there is one thing that I think you should know better than anyone else. All avid gamers are gamblers. Some less, some more. And, as a rich man, he has appearances to keep.”_

_The girl nodded, taking his statement with all the gravity. “Mmm. He will be blasted to oblivion if he turns down a game from a poor orphan.”_

_“See? You get it.” Seto moved his own figurine. Now, it was Ai’s turn to think. “Even then, this will play on his sense of superiority, I think.”_

_They needed not to say this - Ai was there to help train Seto to win. His and Mokuba’s future was at stake. After a quick sip of her tea, she made her own move._

_Checkmate. Seto grunted and leaned back and covered his face in frustration._

_“Your playstyle is aggressive, which is fine,” she explained before Seto could even ask what he did wrong this time, “But you don’t take too much time to really wait and think on your strategy. You are too quick to get to your most powerful figures.”_

_“You don’t wait long either.” Seto remarked, but looked down at the chess figurines in shame. To Ai, this game was like breathing. “What’s your point?”_

_“My point is,” Ai began setting the figurines back to their designated fields. “Is that a well-played pawn can often spell win or defeat.”_

_She said such obvious things, but in his excitement, Seto realized that he forgot to look at the bigger picture. Ai continued. “Chess is a game of long term strategy, Seto. Sometimes you have to think two or three steps ahead. And think.”_

_“And maintain calm.” the boy exhaled, leaning back and wrapping his small hands around the warm tea cup. As much as he knew he must keep going, his head was hurting too much._

_“Exactly. Let your opponent do all the worry. Take a look at your pawns. Learn to appreciate their complex simplicity. And believe in your ability.”_

_“And,” Seto seemed to realize something. “Learn from other professionals…”_

  
  
  


『••✎••』

  
  


Across the balcony, separated by walls, he could feel eyes on him. He was being watched at all times, however this look he recognized and welcomed. He leaned on the balcony railing and tip-toed upwards, offering a small, sincere smile. 

Mokuba waved to him and smiled brighter. In these trying times, he became a pillar for Seto of sorts. The thought that, no matter what happened, they’d have each other was comforting. 

They both knew that tomorrow would be another day, another life even. On the fateful day when he won that chess match and they took one last stroll along the city, Seto made a promise to be his brother’s keeper. _A father._ Mokuba’s drawing, that rested with him at almost all times, was a confirmation to that. A token, if one willed it. 

As the clock ticked, and the time Seto afforded himself has come to an end, he nodded a farewell to his little guardian angel, mouthing _‘Good night, little brother’_ in English. A glimpse of his smile was all he needed to get him through the coming days.

Yes. One day, all this pain will pay off. 

  
  
  


『••✎••』

  
  


This night was sleepless for many. Taisia stared blankly at the computer monitor. Words were corrected, rearranged and deleted as quickly as they were typed out. Her visit was short, but the path between her desk and the kettle has been well paved by one. 

She wanted to turn on her music, but Homuro was fast asleep, and she did not want to interrupt him. _The ticking of the clock and my own memory will do for now._ And so, she turned back to the screen, overlooking a neatly written programme. All in English, of course.

Her and Seto thus far had a productive week. Seto grasped basic grammar rather quickly, leaving Taisia to wonder if her skills were even adequate to begin with. However, what concerned her more was the state of Seto. 

Children of rich people were often bouncing between the two extremes of either being left on their devices or stressed beyond belief. It was none of her business. Until now. Not even once did Gozaburo approach her since, to ask how Seto is doing. Not once, did he provide any feedback. Even the servants seemed to regard the older boy with some contempt in their eyes. 

Get in, lead the lesson, get out. _Don’t ask any questions, don’t get involved,_ Homura told her. More at stake was for him than her, she thought. Taisia was a chance for him… No, for _them_ to put their names out there. Not every day one of the five board leaders, much less CEO himself acknowledged one’s experience. Her experience was their ticket for a better life.

Still, Taisia had to wonder just how close Seto was to his father, if at all. Furthermore, why was she not introduced to the youngest, Mokuba. The few times she had seen him, one of the servants would be ushering him inside and locking the door.It felt more like she was walking inside a fancy prison than a multi-billionaire's home.

She was taught to think with her head first, but her heart was beating fast, threatening to jump out of her throat and voice the burning question on its own. 

Night faded into day. Taisia would once again see Seto, in the usual place - on the couch, hiding behind the flowers, clutching his notes. Earlier, she promised herself that she will simply do what was needed of her. But heavy dark bags under the boy’s eyes pushed the words out.

  
“ _Seto? Does your father speak English?”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~Exposition, Exposition, Rush it out ASAP~
> 
> I want to thank all those who read it thus far and took interest in the story. Without your support and help, I would honestly have abandoned this!
> 
> I also want to thank Stocking for lending me her OC Ai Kobashi!


	4. IV. The Pawn

_ Black and white squares was all he thought he could see. He has lost the track of time since they started playing. This particular round has been especially intense.  _

_ The tea Ai made for them has gone cold. Hushed whispers and encouragement from observers have all but turned into a white noise. It was only the sound of their breathing and heartbeat, working in synergy. Such was the excitement of games for Seto - entering a different plane with his opponent, that only one person can emerge a victor from. _

_ And what an opponent Ai was. Meticulous in her approach, patient, and incredibly calculating. Sometimes, he’d feel cold emanating from her otherwise welcoming exterior. _

_ Seto studied the position of figurines carefully. Multiple times had he raised his hand, only to reconsider and set it down. Each new movement caught his opponents attention. Finally, his decision disturbed the perfect stillness. The air between them became heavier, making them both shift in their chairs. _

_ Another quiet tap, as Ai’s gentle slender fingers picked a figurine made the move. She was watched carefully the whole time - boy’s amethyst hues reading her carefully. In the weeks they have been playing he has come to know what to expect from her. A slight furrow of her eyebrow or wrinkle on her heart-shaped face told him much more than any words could. _

_ Little did she know, but he was learning. He was learning fast and well. For, as soon as she set her figure down and wrote the new position on a piece of paper, he lifted his hand there and then.  _

_ A small black pawn was all it took.  _

**_“Checkmate.”_ **

_ The deeper furrow of her eyebrows made him smile. “Checkmate, Ai.” Seto leaned back into his chair. He almost forgot how to breathe.  _

_ The girl scoffed and picked up her notes much sharper than she perhaps intended, looking over the notes. As calm and collected as she was, no one liked to lose. Especially after an impressive winning streak.  _

_ “It seems so,” she mused, tone becoming more defeated with each line of notes. There was no trickery. No cheating. He won her, fair and square. “It seems indeed so.” _

_ Standing ovations from their audience made his victory feel just that much sweeter. In that moment, Seto deserved every single bit of praise and glory that was offered to him.  _

_ “I am ready for tomorrow.” he announced, pushing himself from the desk, both to bask in accolades and to stretch his legs. He could only linger on his victory for so long, after all. _

_ “Are you sure you are?” Ai responded. She could take a loss, and the boy appreciated her for that. “I can see that you took my advice to heart.” _

_ “I have.” he nodded. Tomorrow, Gozaburo Kaiba himself would be visiting their orphanage. Tomorrow, his and Mokuba’s life will start anew, but only if he plays it right.  _

_ And tomorrow, his life may as well depend on the single well-placed pawn on the field. _

  
  


『••✎••』

  
  


“ _ Seto? Does your father speak English?” _

  
  


He was tethering somewhere in-between worlds when the woman asked that question. He stayed up all night studying. Before that, Fridays were hard on him as they were, but with this added curriculum Seto couldn’t even comprehend what was going on. 

“Seto…” she was about to repeat her question, her tone desperate for an answer.

“ _ He… no he speak…”  _ he slurred his answer, but before anything coherent could come out, he felt his head gravitate towards the couch seat. 

His blurry vision would soon fall on the tall red figure hovering over him, followed by a familiar ringing sound of whiplash. His eyes opened wide, and he felt himself trembling. Another sound followed, but not of whiplash, not any that the vision of his father would make. 

_ It was a shriek of a woman. _

When Seto came to his senses, he saw Taisia looking away, one hand extended towards him as if she was trying to hold him straight, while the other was covering the side of her face. She looked distressed enough for the boy to realize what had happened.

_ “ _ Teacher, I-...” before he could continue, she held up an index finger. 

He felt his head sinking into his shoulders. Normally, this kind of act would be followed by punishment. However, the clock kept ticking, but nothing came. Taisia merely removed her hand from the impact, and looked at him with concern.

“Seto.” she began, her tone as even as he recalled it. “How is your reading?”

“ _ Reading? _ ” the boy had to ask in English. 

Her tone was enough for him to take a moment to breathe and to appraise her like he never appraised any of his tutors. She certainly seemed to mean well. Her expression was concerned. Eyebrows curled outwards, lips downturned. Not a lick of anger, even though he hit her a moment before. 

Communication has been a part of civilization ever since its inception. Language was something that governed lands, pacified rebellions or started wars. Language has turned brother against brother, made peace. Even to this day, language creates further discussion. Language evolves constantly. 

But before the language was even invented, ancestors have used gestures, facial expressions, and mimicry. Those subtle cues were the ones Taisia banked on when she dropped that question, and the ones that made Seto think twice before giving his answer.

“ _ Want… me to read?”  _ he asked cautiously, his eyes narrowing. That answer seemed satisfactory, as his mentor exhaled and held out a book for him. 

It was a tiny paperback, with red cover, and a colorful image on the front. He flipped through the pages, as if weighing how much exactly he was expected to digest, but before he could open the first page, he felt her shadow eclipse him.

“ _ Yes. Read.” _ she repeated almost in a hush, carefully extending her hand towards his shoulder, as if asking permission. After a slight nod from his end, she felt her hand gently push him onto the couch, other reaching out for the decorative pillow to lay beneath his head.

The last thing that Seto remembered was her leaning against the frame of the couch, her shadow shielding his eyes from the sunlight that was especially unforgiving to his senses this morning.

  
  


『••✎••』

  
  


_ What the hell am I doing? _

Taisia brushed her short hair off her face, as she looked around the library for any black suits that may be patrolling this place. Somehow, it seemed to be like something Gozaburo would order. 

Her cheek was still burning red from the impact. It was hard to believe that it was given to her by, pretty much, a child that she was now protecting. Seto slept soundlessly, making her check on his breathing and pulse a few times. And, when not doing so, her eyes would wander once more, cautious of every shadow that passed.

She was too late to react when a figure appeared behind her. When she sharply turned around and was about to scream, she heard a rather sharp “ _ Shhhh!”, _ followed by a cough.

“Goodness, Mokuba…” Taisia hissed at the now smiling little boy. Despite seeing his shadow prowling the halls every day, that was the first time she saw him in person. Mop of black hair was even more unruly. Some of his clothing had specs of dust stuck to it.

“I don’t want to disturb my brother’s sleep.” he replied, little hands beginning to try and make sense of his hair. Despite his outwardly jovial appearance, his tone was serious, and Taisia had to remind herself that he was just as Kaiba as Seto was. Especially when she felt his blue eyes fall on her.

“It’s quite risky,” he continued. “Because guards patrol these halls”

“You think they will suspect something?”

“If it’s quiet.” he nodded, approaching the couch his older brother was curled on, to masterfully pry the book out of his hands. “English for beginners?”

“A set of novels, yes. Easy to read, and easy to explain.” Taisia nodded. “Interested in learning the language?”

Mokuba smiled at that, beginning to nod his head rhythmically, as he began flipping the pages and humming something. His lack of answer confused her, until she heard faint echoes of footsteps outside heavy oak doors. “If you don’t understand something, just point at the sentence and we can break it down.”

Another nod from the boy, and Taisia straightened herself up, feeling her breath become just that more liberated.  _ And there I thought he is just a forgotten sibling.  _ She found herself watching… no,  _ studying _ Mokuba’s timed reactions, as he sat on the ground next to her, protecting his brother’s slumber. 

They remained quiet, aside from him pointing at the page every now and again. Whether it was a convincing act, or he was genuinely interested in learning, Taisia explained it all the same. 

Just ten minutes before the lesson was over, she watched Mokuba rise to his feet and gently stir Seto awake. Just like with her, he put a hand against his own lips and reprimanded his groggy sibling with the same shush. 

When Seto reached out to take the book from him, he was only given a mouthed no. Just like he appeared, Mokuba seemed to vanish out of sight when the two weren’t looking. 

“I still expect homework to be done.” Taisia whispered, quietly enough for only Seto to hear.


End file.
